Something / Anything

Digitally remastered using 20 bit K2 technology, this is a Japanese reissue of this classic 1972 album for Bearsville in a miniaturized gatefold LP sleeve with the original cover intact & limited to the initial pressing only. 25 tracks, including 'I Saw The Light', 'It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference' and 'Hello It's Me'. 1999 release.

This double record from 1972 remains the definitive collection of Rundgren's long career. With Rundren acting as a one-man-band for three-quarters of the session, it was also his bid for a Ph.D. from the college of musical knowledge. He deserved the degree for simply writing the lead-off track, "I Saw the Light," a melodic pop-rock gem that remains Rundgren's greatest hit. Rundgren excels at Beatles-esque pop-rock ("Couldn't I Just Tell You," "Wolfman Jack") and Philadelphia-styled soul ballads ("It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference," "Hello, It's Me"). He also sticks his toe into heavy metal ("Black Maria"), jazz-rock fusion ("Breathless"), and cerebral pop ("The Night the Carousel Burnt Down"). Like most double albums, there's fat on the play-list, but the best of Something/Anything gave credence to Rundgren's boast of being a wizard and a true star. --John Milward